n. With a singular charm of personality and
address, the great dissenter made his speech. Jack wrote in his diary
that evening: "The most captivating figure that ever I saw is a
well-bred Englishman trained in the art of public speaking." The words
were no doubt inspired by the impressive speech of Chatham, which is
now an imperishable part of the history of England. These words from
it the young man remembered:

"If the ministers thus persevere in misleading and misadvising the
King, I will not say that they can alienate the affection of his
subjects from his crown, but I will affirm that they will make his
crown not worth his wearing; I will not say that the King is betrayed,
but I will say that the kingdom is undone."

Lord Sandwich in a petulant speech declared that the motion ought not
to be received. He could never believe it the production of a British
peer. Turning toward Franklin, he flung out:

"I fancy that I have in my eye the person who drew it up--one of the
bitterest and most mischievous enemies this country has ever known."

"Franklin sat immovable and without the slightest change in his
countenance," Jack wrote in a letter to _The Pennsylvania Gazette_.

Chatham declared that the motion was his own, and added:

"If I were the first minister of this country, charged with the
settling of its momentous business, I should not be ashamed to call to
my assistance a man so perfectly acquainted with all American affairs,
as the gentleman so injuriously referred to--one whom all Europe holds
in high estimation for his knowledge and wisdom, which are an honor,
not only to England, but to human nature."

"Franklin told me that this was harder for him to bear than the abuse,
but he kept his countenance as blank as a sheet of white paper," Jack
wrote. "There was much vehement declamation against the measure and it
was rejected.

"When we had left the chamber, Franklin said to me:

"'That motion was made by the first statesman of the age, who took the
helm of state when the latter was in the depths of despondency and led
it to glorious victory through a war with two of the mightiest kingdoms
in Europe. Only a few of those men had the slightest understanding of
its merits. Yet they would not even consider it in a second reading.
They are satisfied with their ignorance. They have nothing to learn.
Hereditary legislators! There would be more propriety in hereditary
professors of mathematics! Heredi